A report put to Gore District Council this week examined the operational budgets of arts and heritage activities within the Gore district.
Overall, the four noted facilities of the Moonshine Museum, Eastern Southland Art Gallery, Croyden Aviation Heritage Centre, and the Gore Visitor Centre ran a total of $1,482,570 of total rates, including $9500 for a Mataura Museum grant.
Of this, about $500,000 were fixed costs, overheads, depreciation, interest on loans and building insurance, with the rest as service or operational.
The recommendation noted "the cost to engage a consultant for further review outweighs the benefits or cost efficiencies" and put to council "no further reviews on Arts and Heritage services are procured".
The report said "a sentiment has been conveyed to provide the same services, but with less cost", although budgets had already been stripped of anything unessential.
If all funding to arts and heritage ceased, the report said it would save ratepayers only about 3% of their current rates bill.
After questions dealing with the finances of the four museums around the district, the floor was open for debate, with Mayor Ben Bell opening up with a question of comparison.
Although he agreed it would be costly to bring in a consultant, Mr Bell said compared to other councils of similar sizes, Gore spent far more per capita than some.
Cr Richard McPhail pushed back, saying those services contributed to Gore’s identity and offered a point of difference.
"What about the towns that don’t have anything? No visitors’ centre, art gallery, museum — you won’t see their name, because we don’t know who they are,"
Cr McPhail said before the trees were cut, it was important to look at the forest, with Gore holding a place on the map. Cr Glenys Dickson and Mr Bell agreed.
Mr Bell then put forward a new motion for a report "discussing the options of a reduction in the level of service for the arts and heritage precinct be provided to the incoming council".
Cr Andy Fraser kicked off, agreeing with Cr McPhail and Cr Dickson over Gore having a point of difference, but said first and foremost, it was important for the district to be an affordable place to live.
Deputy mayor Keith Hovell pushed back, questioning the practicality of such a motion.
He listed all the different moving parts which made up arts and heritage — trusts, reserve land, etc — and wondered how it could get through.
GDC chief executive Debbie Lascelles noted it wasn’t impossible, but it was complicated with contracts, work with trusts, employment agreements and the like to be examined.
Ms Lacelles said there could be an agreement to reduce services, but said the potential consequences could be grave, and would be hard to get out of.
Cr Stewart MacDonnell said in his experience in financial management, there were ways to make things work more efficiently at a lower cost.
Ms Lascelles shut that down, saying the only place for savings would be in staffing, as "the operational budgets are minimal".
"There are no more savings to be made, except for reduction of a level of service," she said, also noting community trusts already helped to subsidise operating costs.
Cr Hovell called for a division, with Mr Bell agreeing, with the amended motion passing 8-4.
The only votes against were the departing councillors — Cr Hovell, Cr Dickson, Cr Bronwyn Reid, and Cr McPhail.
